The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia, botanically known as Lobelia erinus, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘LOBZ0009’.
‘LOBZ0009’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar has large, purple flowers, strong stems with long inflorescences, dark green foliage, narrow leaves, free branching, and a medium sized, large and open trialing plant habit.
‘LOBZ0009’ originated from a hybridization made in May 2009 in Andijk, The Netherlands.
The female parent was an unpatented, proprietary Lobelia plant designated ‘LOB08-315-1’, having larger flowers, darker green leaves and a mounding trailing plant habit, while plant habit of ‘LOBZ0009’ is distinctly more trailing.
The male parent of ‘LOBZ0009’ was the proprietary Lobelia plant designated ‘LOB7-185-1’ (unpatented), having purple flowers, more light green and glossy foliage, and longer stems than ‘LOBZ0009’.
The resulting seeds were sown in June 2009 and ‘LOBZ0009’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in September 2009 in a controlled environment in Andijk, The Netherlands.
The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘LOBZ0009’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in the summer of 2010 in a controlled environment in Andijk, The Netherlands.